An X-ray analyzer includes an X-ray source for exposing a specimen to X-rays, and a detector for detecting X-rays diffracted by the specimen. In this type of X-ray analyzer, an analysis is sometimes performed while moving the X-ray source and detector relative to each other along a reference circle centered on the specimen (the so-called diffractometer circle) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
FIG. 5A is a schematic view showing the configuration of an X-ray analyzer of the prior art. In this example, the detector 102 includes a slit plate 121 with a slit of a predetermined width. Among the X-rays diffracted by the specimen S, the detector 102 only detects those X-rays which have passed through the slit in the slit plate 121. The X-ray source 101 and the slit plate 121 (slit) of the detector 102 are located on the diffractometer circle C centered on the specimen S.
During the analysis, the angle of incidence of the X-rays relative to the surface of the specimen S is changed by rotating the specimen S at a predetermined angular velocity (so-called θ rotation) using the center A of the diffractometer circle C as the axis of rotation. At this time, the detector 102 rotates at an angular velocity twice that of the θ rotation (so-called 2θ rotation) around the axis of rotation. In this way, diffraction information is obtained while holding constant the relationship between the angle of incidence of the X-rays relative to the specimen S and the angle of incidence to the slit of the X-rays diffracted by the specimen S.
When an analysis is performed using this type of X-ray analyzer, the slit plate 121 is moving continuously so that the slit moves along the diffractometer circle C. When the slit plate 121 has to be moved continuously so that X-rays passing through the slit at each slit position can be detected by the detector 102, the analysis takes a long time to complete. In recent years, X-ray analyzers have been developed which use a detector including a plurality of detection elements which move along the diffractometer circle C.
FIG. 5B is a schematic view showing another configuration of an X-ray analyzer of the prior art. In this example, a detector 202 is used in which a plurality of detection elements 221 are arranged in a single row on a substrate 222. The X-ray source 201 and the detector 202 are located on the diffractometer circle C centered on the specimen S. During analysis, the specimen S and the detector 202 are rotated in the manner mentioned above using the center A of the diffractometer C as the axis of rotation.
In the detector 202, each detection element 221 is aligned on tangent line C1 with the diffractometer circle C. In this X-ray analyzer, X-rays diffracted by the specimen S can be detected by the detection elements 221 at the same time. As a result, the analysis takes less time.